SAN ANTONIO – KSAT 12’s Educator of the Month honoree for the month of April says he is proud to teach in a community that he knows and loves.
Alex Olivarez grew up on the South Side and now, he is a U.S. History teacher at Harlandale High School, where students say he makes learning fun.
Mr. Olivarez is KSAT’s Educator of the Month.
“I really enjoy this class and enjoy the subject in general, because that’s what I love to do, it’s what I went to school for,” Alex Olivarez said. “And, if I can help them love history a little bit more each day, then I’ve done my job.”
Olivarez has been teaching U.S. History for the last three years and he has been teaching at Harlandale High School for 11 years.
And, watching him teach, it’s clear he has the attention and respect of his students
“He knows how to talk to us and uses like certain words that we use to make us focus better,” said Aiden (AJ) Lopez, a Harlandale High School student. “And, it makes it better to come over here because it’s more enjoyable to listen to and talk. And, he knows a lot about what he’s talking about.”
“I grew up in the neighborhood,” Olivarez said. “My mother went here back in the 1970′s and I always wanted to be here. This was my first choice, right after college. I did my student-teaching here and I was fortunate to get a position here. And, I’ve been here ever since.”
Aside from his work in the classroom, Olivarez has also been out on the field, coaching baseball.
“It’s fantastic,” Ricardo Salmon, Harlandale High School principal said. “The recognition is very important to our staff and our community. And, you picked a very great candidate, Mr. Olivares. The whole department is very happy for him. And we are too, here in our heart, in our community.”